The Fidesz s EPP membership shielded Orban for a long time from harsher punishment for his so-called democratic backsliding.
But the self-inflicted isolation from his powerful allies could cost Hungary desperately-needed EU coronavirus recovery stimulus funds, which have been tied to adherence with the rule of law.
Borrowing extended
The future of these stimulus funds was also at the centre of a debate in Brussels this week for other reasons.
The European Commission extended the coronavirus exemption of the EU s fiscal rules in order to weather the brutal economic shock of the pandemic, meaning uncapped borrowing will continue to be allowed through this year and the next.
Vaccination en Belgique: déjà 1 000 vies sauvées
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Les Belges interdits de voyages jusqu au 18 avril
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